Renowned French artist Daniel Buren has unveiled a striking new urban intervention on a building facade in Paris's 17th arrondissement, marking four decades since his controversial Columns installation. The new work, located at 30 rue des Acacias, transforms an ordinary street facade into a dynamic visual landmark using Buren's signature black and white stripes.
The installation features the artist's characteristic horizontal bands sliding across the stone surface, creating an active facade that appears almost in motion. This urban intervention redefines the building's openings while maintaining Buren's radical precision through seemingly simple motifs. The contrast draws the eye upward, yet nothing massive has been added to the structure. As a result, 30 rue des Acacias has become a distinctive visual reference point in the neighborhood.
Buren's methodology combines restraint with powerful impact, as the stripe patterns interact with natural light throughout the day. The perception of the work varies depending on the time of day and weather conditions, effectively transforming the facade into a living screen. For Buren, the street itself serves as the frame, reinforcing his philosophy that the city is not merely a backdrop but a medium for artistic expression.
Running parallel to this street installation, an exhibition brings together Buren and artist Miles Greenberg in Paris, creating a dialogue between performative gestures and visual structures. The collaboration confronts Buren's geometric rigor with the presence of the human body, allowing audiences to navigate between urban rhythm and performance duration. However, the facade remains the most accessible anchor point, visible to anyone walking by without requiring an admission ticket.
The Ternes district has gained a significant cultural signal through this intervention, facilitating encounters between art and daily life at eye level. Visitors can easily access the work via the Ternes metro station (Line 2) or Argentine station (Line 1). For optimal viewing, morning and late afternoon hours provide the best lighting conditions with pronounced shadows that enhance the stripe patterns.
The striped motif works specifically on attention, revealing hidden alignments and ruptures within the urban landscape. It recalls urban signage while simultaneously subverting it, demonstrating how Buren transforms the ordinary into a tool for reflection. This project represents part of his long-term commitment to site-specific work, where each location produces its own unique response.
The intervention respects the facade's existing geometry, with Buren approaching it like an open-air architectural plan. Local residents observe a gentle transformation that nonetheless creates a non-neutral effect, as the visual cadence influences pedestrian rhythm. The street gains a graphic breath, prompting everyone to reinterpret their daily routes through the neighborhood.
The area, situated near shops and schools, sees considerable foot traffic, and the artwork now serves as a meeting point for residents and visitors. Buren offers a shared experience without access barriers, encouraging crossed glances and spontaneous discussions. In public space, art requires care and precision, and here the subtle signage guides the eye while suturing different temporalities together.
For those wishing to visit, observe, or photograph the installation, the location at 30 rue des Acacias in Paris's 17th arrondissement remains easily accessible from both Ternes and Argentine metro stations. The area can be crossed easily even during rush hours, as Buren has invested in a real urban flow rather than an enclosed space. Photography enthusiasts should choose morning or late afternoon lighting when shadows stretch and give the stripes additional relief, considering slightly upward angles to follow Buren's visual framework while respecting neighborhood life by maintaining appropriate distances and avoiding blocked entrances.
